'Tis the season already?

Can you believe how close Christmas is? I heard Christmas music in the stores last week. It made me slightly ill. Where has Thanksgiving gone?

Well if the rest of the world is getting ready for the holiday, I might start to think about it. What' the best way to start thinking about it? Christmas wish list of course!

I always feel bad sharing my list, because it makes me feel like I'm being selfish. I'm just going to try to get over that, and post it.

Stacey's Christmas Wish List
(in order of desire)

Sherlock DVD
Surprised? You shouldn't be.
I wasn't sure I wanted this at first. The PBS edits make me angry, and I have all the episodes and special features on my computer. Then I found out that the DVD has the original edits and I decided I must have it.

Earth (The Book)
The Daily Show's new book. My bookshelf cries for it.

Clock Locket (clocket!)
Isn't that awesome? The seller has lots of different styles, but this is the one I want. I've seen some great necklaces made with them, but they sell for $30+. Ridiculous! With this, I can make my own for much cheaper.

Guess Who? Silly Bandz
Yeah, I'm asking for Silly Bandz. I'm obviously 11. You shouldn't be surprised. If you look closer, you will see that this pack has Sherlock Holmes! I have friends who I can give the others to, but I want that Holmes band so badly!

Speedball Block Printing kit
I've been wanting to get into block printing for years. I did it in high school and fell in love.

Now this next part is different. These are things I want, but I'm not sure I want them enough to ask for them for Christmas or if I should just wait for my birthday/when I get some extra money.

Blue Barracuda Sweatshirt
Holy crap! Who remembers "Legends of the Hidden Temple"? Blue Barracudas was my team, baby!

Exploding Dog shirt
This is one of my favorite Exploding Dog comics (Are they called comics? I don't know) and it's on a shirt!

The Hound of The Baskervilles Shirt
I just can't say no to anything Sherlock Holmes. I'm not sure I would wear that color, though.

Brilliant Deduction

There's a new Sherlock in town, and it's amazing.

The BBC has made a new mini-series of Sherlock Holmes set in modern day called "Sherlock". It's absolutely incredible. Not to mention that Martin Freeman plays Watson and I just adore him. Also, Benedict Cumberbatch (How's that for a ridiculously British name?) has the most fascinating bizarre shaped and angled face with oddly shaped eyes. It's almost alien-like

You need to watch this. It's not going to be played in America until October, but there are other illegal ways of watching it now. I suggest you do.

PS- I'm in Utah, and will be for at least a month

One Day...

One day I hope to know what it's like to be this happy:

Empty pockets

Military style jacket from Torrid, you are seriously awesome but you are not $48 awesome. Plus, you'd be way cooler if you were a dark gray.

ETA:

Military style shirt from Torrid, Same goes for you and your $34 price tag. Your color is perfect though.

Worm

I have a problem. I read to many books at one time. I don't mean to! It just sort of happens. I start reading a book, then I see another book I want to read. Instead of waiting until I finish the first, I start the second. I have piles of books that are sometimes 7 deep. I've been trying to power through my books right now, so my pile is only 4 deep.
Here's what I'm reading now (In order of how long I've been reading them):


Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell

I've actually been reading this for an embarrassing long time, not because it is boring (quite the opposite), but because I keep misplacing it. It's really interesting and quite funny, just like Sarah Vowell herself.



The Complete Collection Sherlock Holmes Volume 1 by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Have you read Sherlock Holmes? These books are AMAZING. They get stuck in your head. Seriously, it's all I think about. This is a long book so I will probably be reading it for a while. Plus, I have Volume 2 when I'm done.


Are You Dave Gorman? by Dave Gorman and Danny Wallace

I've been wanting to read this for years, but it's hard to find in the US. I happened across it in a used bookstore and, to put it plainly, freaked out. Danny Wallace also wrote Yes Man, which is my favorite book. This read a lot like that, and it's just as fun.


My Life in France by Julia Child

I've actually haven't started this yet, I just got it from the library today. I'm excited to read it. Julia Child holds a special place in my heart and the heart of the rest of my family. It's not just because we love to cook, but because Julia Child reminds us all of my Grandma Bond.

Spectrum of Light

It has been brought to my attention that I need to blog more. I agree with this, I really do. Unfortunately I'm just not that good at the whole blogging thing. Right now I have no interesting stories or events to recount. I have had the stomach flu for almost a week, but no one is interested in hearing about my adventures in vomiting.

I will tell you about something that happened today. I was opening the back door for the dogs to go out, and I saw the most beautiful double rainbow! I don't think I've ever seen a rainbow so bright and vivid before. It was so appropriate for March. I got my parents and they were also impressed. I ran to get my camera but by the time I got back, the second rainbow had faded quite a bit.



Straight up beautiful.

Not to be too cheesy...

... but Sir Arthur Conan Doyle sure knew a thing or two about friendship.

This is an excerpt from the Sherlock Holmes story, "The Adventure of the Three Garridebs":

In an instant he had whisked out a revolver from his breast and had fired two shots. I felt a sudden hot sear as if a red-hot iron had been pressed to my thigh. There was a crash as Holmes’s pistol came down on the man’s head. I had a vision of him sprawling upon the floor with blood running down his face while Holmes rummaged him for weapons. Then my friend’s wiry arms were round me, and he was leading me to a chair.

“You’re not hurt, Watson? For God‘s sake, say that you are not hurt!”

It was worth a wound — it was worth many wounds — to know the depth of loyalty and love which lay behind that cold mask. The clear, hard eyes were dimmed for a moment, and the firm lips were shaking. For the one and only time I caught a glimpse of a great heart as well as of a great brain. All my years of humble but single-minded service culminated in that moment of revelation.

“It’s nothing, Holmes. It‘s a mere scratch.”

He had ripped up my trousers with his pocket-knife.

“You are right,” he cried with an immense sigh of relief. “It is quite superficial.” His face set like flint as he glared at our prisoner, who was sitting up with a dazed face. “By the Lord, it is as well for you. If you had killed Watson, you would not have got out of this room alive. Now, sir, what have you to say for yourself?”

I don't know why, but I find that beautiful.

Cats and Dogs

Honestly, is there anything more beautiful than a proper down pour? Let me answer that: No. I think I shall never see a poem as lovely as weather that is dark, cold, and rainy. It's absolutely wonderful.





It feels like the clouds are giving you a hug. It makes everything so clean and so fresh. I'd take cold, dark, and wet, anytime over hot, bright, and bone-dry.

Animal love

I haven't had much to write about lately, but to show I haven't forgotten about this blog I decided to a photo post. Here are pictures of my favorite animals.

It's Moose O'Clock

I saw this on Uncommon Goods and it took my breath away.

Dancing the Moose Away Clock

Zoom 1

Zoom 2

Beautiful.

A Horrible Christmas

I have found the #1 item on my Christmas list.

Dr Horrible Calander!!

My Favorite Flower is a Weed...

GREATEST THING EVER.

This is going to be my new desktop, screensaver, binder cover, maybe make it into a t-shirt, or a pillowcase.

THIS IS MY NEW FAVORITE THING EVER.

Home Sweet... Oh man, I can't even pretend to finish that...

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to be home. I've missed it and my friends and everything, but here's the deal: My house hates me. My first two nights were fine, but that third... Oooh that third. I woke up with a sore throat (which has since turned into a full on hacking and coughing up green phlegm) and my whole arm has been eaten by a mysterious bug. So my time home has mostly been coughing and scratching. Awesome.

Of course, it hasn't all been bad. I made some awesome cupcakes, got my hair cut, and of course, this:


Oh yeah! Civil War reenactment! The single best way to spend a memorial day. Amanda, her boyfriend Mike, and I went up to Roaring Camp for the annual Civil War Reenactment. I won't lie, it was amazing.


Plus, how many people get to say they hung out with dead presidents on their memorial day?

Craft blog, you've done it again!

It's like they knew! Today Craftzine posted these instructions on how to make a terrarium in a mason jar. I will have to get on this soon at some point.

In unrelated news, I'm very much in love with the song Furr by Blitzen trapper.

It would be like the earth, and I would be like God

I really want to make a terrarium. Like really badly want to make one. I'm not sure how I will feel about it in the morning. When I'm awake in the wee hours of the morning (IE every night) I get these almost uncontrollable compulsions to undertake huge projects. It's all I think about, and the more it's in my head, the more my brain and body say "DO IT! DO IT! DO IT!". It's rather dangerous.

Anyways. Oh yeah, terrariums. How freaking cool are they?
Mine wouldn't be this intense of course, but oh if it could!

Oh man! This one is a ring! How sweet would that be?

There are a few things holding me back. I have no idea how to make one. I have maybe 2 dollars to my name at this point. The biggest one: I would lose interest.

This is how everyone of these late night projects go (stupid boy projects*). I get really excited about something. For the next few days-weeks-months, it's all I think about. I plan it out, map it out, draw it out, until all my notebooks are covered in ideas. Then I go crazy getting everything I need. After I have all the necessary items and have a solid plan I lock myself in my room for hours-days-eons working on it. When I'm finally finished, I stare at my result for a few hours.
Then I'm bored with it.
BORED.

This is why I try not to act upon my late night project urges. It takes up my life until completion, but then I don't care about whatever it is. How long did I spend painting the sheep on my wall? I really don't care about it. And all the homemade paper? I wasn't really interested in making the actual paper, just figuring out how to make the frame and the pulp (paper batter?).

Maybe if I go to bed early, I won't get these ridiculous urges.
Yeah, and maybe if hell freezes over, that will happen.

*Seriously, if you read Yes Man you would understand almost half of the stupid things I say.

Stuck

I've been in a bit of a funk lately, and it's hard to think clearly. Though after today I realized that even during these crappy times there are good things still happening.

Things like

• Receiving the weirdest/greatest text ever from a wrong number
• The best nachos I have had for Linger Longer
• My damn good taste in music, and getting new stuff
• Having 3 cookies at church which resulted in the worst sugar high I've ever had
• Having friends who just laughed at my sugar high craziness instead of being annoyed, as I thought they would have been
• People being able to forget all my anger and depression ridiculousness from my teen years
  
• Having a large bag full of some of my grandma's jewelry
• The incredible rain we've had for the past few days
• I'm going to say the rain again, because it is amazing
• Re-reading Yes Man for the umpteenth time, and re-discovering the reasons why it's the best book ever for the umpteenth time
• This valentine by aquaticfishy

Clovis!

My trip to Clovis can be described using only a few pictures:


And of course:

Cupcake Tour 08

Check out my brother's blog for the cupcake tour we took last week while everyone was here for Christmas. It was great.

My body is a cage that keeps me from dancing with the one I love, but my mind holds the key.

Okay, ummmm... The trailer for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button? The one with Arcade Fire? AMAZING.
Seriously, that song is one of my favorite songs. Not just of Arcade Fire, but of any band.
They play it in the trailer, no other sounds, just the song and just LOUD. I love it.
Not to mention that the film looks incredible and I really want to see it.

Seriously though. I can't find it on youtube, or I would post it. AMAZING.